Cattle-guard.



L. F. NICHOLS.

CATTLE GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, I9I6.

1.198,949. Pantedsept. 19,1916.

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LOYD F. NICHOLS, OF ELKRIDGE, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CALLIE W. ALSTIED, OF ELKRIDGE, WEST VIRGINIA.

CATTLE-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

Application filed March 23, V1916. Serial No. 86,194.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Loro F. NICHOLS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elkridge, in the county of Fayette and State of IVest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cattle-Guards; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in cattle guards, and the object is to provide a very simple, cheap and efiicient structure which will effectively prevent animals passing along the road from trespassing upon the railway tracks.

IVith this general object in view, my invention resides in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed and shown in the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of a railroad track showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and, Figs. 3 and i are vertical transverse sections taken on the lines 3-3 and 1---1 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the figures of the drawing R designates a pair of track rails between which my improved guard is designed to be disposed. While I have illustrated but a single one of these guards, it is obvious that when a double track railroad is ,to be equipped with my invention, three or 0 other between the two tracks. It may also be necessary to place one of these guards between the track and the fence which incloses the railway right of way. However, the guards are similarly constructed except in the matter of size wherever they may be used.

As shown, the guard comprises a gate 1 formed of a plurality of spaced apart slats 2 preferably disposed longitudinally of the rails R and held together at one end by the cross brace 3. The opposite ends of the slats are provided with transversely extending apertures 4f through which is extended a shaft 5 whose outer ends are pivoted in suit- 5 able supports 6. Spacing blocks 7 are preferably placed between each of the slats 2 and the supports (3, said members 7 being apertured to receive the shaft 5, whereby said slats will be spaced apart and at the same time pivoted between. the supports 6. These supports are secured to the cross ties which support the rails It or any other preferred foundation. Since the shaft 5 extends throughthe gate 1 at a point rather close to one end, it is obvious that when this end 1 is moved downwardly, the opposite end will be raised upwardly, the shaft .5 being disposed a sufiicient distance above the ground to allow the first mentioned end 1 to move downwardly without coming in co-ntact with the ground.

A movable platform 8 formed of a plurality of spaced apart longitudinally extending slats 9 is disposed with one of its ends adjacent the end 1 of the gate. These adjacent ends of the slats 2 and 9 are provided with eyes 10 and l1, two eyes 11 projecting from the end of each of the slats 9 and spaced apart to receive the eyes 10 therebetween. The eyes on the several slats aline and receive a pivot shaft 12 whereby the platform and the gate will be hinged t0- gether. These slats 9 are retained in spaced apart position by means of brace bars 13, one or more of which may be used.

The platform 8 is normally in horizontal position, the ends of the slats opposite those provided with the eyes 11 being spacedabove the ground by a rock shaft 14, on the opposite ends of which cranks 15 are formed. The rock shaft 14 extends through eyes 16 which project from the ends of the slats 9. The horizontal portions of the cranks 15 are pivotally mounted in suitable bearings 17 which are secured to cross ties or any other preferred support.

From the preceding description of the construction of the invention, it will be evident that when an animal strays from the road and attempts to walk up the railroad track and steps upon the movableplatform 8, one end thereof will be depressed thereby causing the gate 1 to be rotated around its shaft 5 to substantially vertical position, thus effectively barring the animal from further travel. It will be seen that when the platform is depressed, the rock shaft will readily move forwardly and permit the several parts of the guard to be effectively operated.

As liereinhefore mentioned, various changes may be made 1n the proportions of the several parts of the guard, andit is also g obvious that other changes ymay be made within the scope of the appended claim without departing from or sacriiicing. any of the principles of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

In a cattle guard of the `Vclass described, .a

pair of supports, a gate disposedV therebel` tween and comprising a plurality of spaced apart sla-ts'connected together,` a shaft eX- tending transversely through said slats nearer one end than the other and pivoted by its opposite ends in said supports, an eye projecting longitudinally from the short end of each of said slats, a;movahle,plat form, also, formed froml a plurality 0f spaced apart slats rigidly connected together, the inner end of said platform being adjacent the short end of` said gate, a

pair of spaced apart eyesprojecting from the inner end of each slat of said platform and receiving the iirst mentioned eyes therebetween, all of said eyes vbeing alined, a pivot shaft extending through said alined eyes, an additional eye on the other end of veaeh of the slats of said platform, said eyes being also,l alined, a' rock shaft extending LOYD F. NICHOLS.

Witnesses SHERLEY MAYES, J. W. JACKSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

